PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Congo, WB conclude first phase of major Internet link to Gabon
Brazzaville, Congo (PANA) - Congo and the World bank have concluded the evaluation of the implementation of the Central African Backbone (CAB), an Internet connectivity linking Congo and Gabon at the cost of US$ 15 million, sources at the Congolese Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Economy told PANA on Saturday.
The first phase of the project, co-financed by Congo and the World Bank, is now completed, after its launch in May 2011. For seven years, it enabled to link Congo and Gabon with optical fiber infrastructure.
According to officials at the ministry, the 521km oceanic ridge, between Pointe-Noire and Mbinda, a city community in the department of Niari at the border with Gabon, was linked to another 1,078km oceanic ridge, also established on the Gabon side, between Libreville and Lekoko.
In addition to its achievements, the project has boosted Congo’s digital economy in the sense that the country can get a first internet sharing point in Central Africa with a platform that will enable to valorize the national domain, as well as an institutional and legal framework, which regulates digital economy in the country’s ecosystem. It also enabled Internet connection to different institutes of Marien Ngouabi University.
The World Bank representative in Congo, Korotoumou Ouattara, has said that completion of the CAB project enables the Bank and the Congolese government to strengthen the project’s development goals.
The second phase of the project is already underway with financing to the tune of US$16 million from the African Development Bank.
According to Congolese Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Economy, Leon Juste Ibombo, the second phase has several components as it will enable the country to achieve added value works toward achievement of digital economy.
Known as Northern network, the project entails interconnections with Cameroon and with Central African Republic.
-0- PANA MB/IS/MSA/AR 5Jan2019
The first phase of the project, co-financed by Congo and the World Bank, is now completed, after its launch in May 2011. For seven years, it enabled to link Congo and Gabon with optical fiber infrastructure.
According to officials at the ministry, the 521km oceanic ridge, between Pointe-Noire and Mbinda, a city community in the department of Niari at the border with Gabon, was linked to another 1,078km oceanic ridge, also established on the Gabon side, between Libreville and Lekoko.
In addition to its achievements, the project has boosted Congo’s digital economy in the sense that the country can get a first internet sharing point in Central Africa with a platform that will enable to valorize the national domain, as well as an institutional and legal framework, which regulates digital economy in the country’s ecosystem. It also enabled Internet connection to different institutes of Marien Ngouabi University.
The World Bank representative in Congo, Korotoumou Ouattara, has said that completion of the CAB project enables the Bank and the Congolese government to strengthen the project’s development goals.
The second phase of the project is already underway with financing to the tune of US$16 million from the African Development Bank.
According to Congolese Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Economy, Leon Juste Ibombo, the second phase has several components as it will enable the country to achieve added value works toward achievement of digital economy.
Known as Northern network, the project entails interconnections with Cameroon and with Central African Republic.
-0- PANA MB/IS/MSA/AR 5Jan2019
